What it Takes to Get Into The Zone

I know first hand how hard it is to get motivated to work out, especially after a long day at work or school. I have cross country or track practice after school every day, and sometimes I just think about how much nicer it would be to go home for a short nap or get a head start on that nights long hours of homework, but then I think about the consequences. It is hard to get excited about working out, but it's not impossible.
Think about your goals. The first thing that you have to do is remember why you're doing this. Think about the great body shape that you'll be in or the progress that you will see at the end of the year. Personally, the meets make everything worth it for me. I just think about what will happen at the meets if I don't go to practice or what will happen if I do and try my absolute best. I'll be so much happier with my race performance if I show up and work hard at practice every day. Also, I get into great shape which boosts my confidence. When I think about all the great reasons to go, it makes me so much more motivated to go running.
Have a Hit List. Another thing that gets me pumped up for practice is listening to music. I have a list of all my favorite upbeat songs that I can play and it really gets me into the zone. I love music and listening to it before a workout really gets me excited and pumped up for anything my coach decides to throw at me.
Take a Snack Break. After a long day you probably feel worn out and the last thing that you want to do is go for a long run. Keeping something small in your bag such as a granola bar or some wheat thins to snack on will give you the energy you need for a good workout. Let's face it, everybody loves food and everyone feels better once they've had a snack, So not only will it give you more energy, but overall it will put you into a better mood for a workout.
These are the things that I do before my practices and they almost always work. There will be days that no matter how hard you try, you're just not feeling it. Believe it or not, that's completely normal. You just have to remember all the great things about a tough workout. All you can do is tough it out and hope for a better day tomorrow.